Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-29
FIGHT WITH PIRATES.


James Torrence was foremast hand
on the British bark Huntress, and one
morning IL the seventies we left Singa-
pore, bound to the south by way of the
Straits of Sunda. We had sixteen hands
on the bark, and for armament we had a
nine-pounder mounted on a carriage and
a good supply of muskets and pixies. All
of the seas to the North of Australia are
suspicious waters for an honest ship.
Pirates have abounded there ever since
ships began to sail, and I'm thinking it
will be long before the business is en-
tirely wipedaOut. There are hundreds of
islands in the Java and Bands seas, and
each one of them offers a secure head
quarters for gang of native pirates.
They are not as bold as before the gov
eminent cruisers got orders to patrol
those waters and sink every craft which
could not show honest papers; but they
are there still, and the temptations are
too great to expect they can ever be en-
tirely suppressed. On our way up, when
off the Red islands, on the northern coast
of Sumatra, we Overhauled an Italian
brig called the CanlpellO. She was strip
ped of sails, cordage and most of her
cargo, and had been set fire to and scut-
tied. For some reason the flames died
out and the water came in SO slowly that
she was floating six hours after the pi-
rates abandoned her. Our mate was sent
off to board her and he found shocking
state of affairs.
She had been laid aboard without re-
sistance by two native boats, armed only
With tuskets and pistols. The crew had
at PnN3een made prisoners, and set to
wof -to strip the ship and hoist out such
cargo as the pirates covered. She was
run in behind one of the islands and an
chored, and for three days and nights
the pirates were hard at work on her
Each man of the crew worked under
guard during the day, and at night
captain and all were secured in the fore
castle. The crew numbered fourteen.
Toward evening of the third day the
pirates had secured all their plumber
Several native crafts had been loaded and
sailed up the coast to some rendezvous
and only one remained to take on the last
of the plumber. As no actual violence
had been offered captain or crew during
the three days there was hope that the
pirates would GO away and leave them in
possession of the robbed and dismantIed
brig, Just what shift they would have
made in this case / cannot say. for the
craft was lelft without sail, rope, block, or
provisions. About 4 o'clock in the after
noon the crew were ordered forward,
while the natives collected att, and at a
given signal fire was opened on the de-
fenseless men. To their credit let it be
recorded that they seized whatever wea-
pons they could lay their hands on and
dashed at the pirates, but it was simply
to die like brave men. In ten minutes the
last one was shot down. The pirates
then raised the anchor and got it into
their boat, bored holes in the ships
bottom, and started a fire in the hold
amidships. The information l have
given you came from a little chap on
board who was making his first voyage as
an apprentice. He was, if 1 remember
right, only ID years old. On the morning
of the third day. he managed to hide
among the cargo, and the pirates COM
pleted their work and sent the bulk drift
ing out to sea without having missed
him. He was on deck to catch the pain
ter of the mates boat when she drew
alongside, and to one of our crew who
could speak Italian he gave the story as
straight as the captain could have talked.
We reported the affair at Singapore
and British gunboat was sent off to in
vestlgate. She returned before we had
completed our loading and reported that
she had made no discoveries. 1t was a
warming for our captain, and he wisely
determined to heed it. We took on shell
ID grape for our cannon, a dozen re-
ters were purchased for the crew, and
te very day we left the captain
rT.L;aSSht aboard two very heavy rifles
80; he had picked up somewhere at a
$3.50. I call them rifles, but they were
I'm cannon, carrying three ounce
- - tth powder enough behind it to
80; marksman half way across the
"a a. e left Singapore as well prepar-
$3.50. ~ Merchant vessel could be, and it
1e --9 Let the captain was advised to
D. ~ "ell toward Borneo and give the
49, 49, o l'I IDS wide birth. We crossed
Of AZ iSI or at least 100 miles to the east
sav oy,a tands, as I overheard the captain
so1tbaost hen altered our course TO the
Of FiI;to,,i calculating to pass to the east
Snndo $40 island before hauling away for
< made good weather of it. and
w n"u VI bssed the equator and run down
: on on9 Rw course until Billion might
na'o Ia sighted from the masthead,
"non VI Ire came calm. The wind had
9iou q" Ay about midforenoon, and the
uiA.' u the bark was to the north. We
iooAec Nor change at sunset, but moth
ing car he. and the night passed without
VIZ Enough to move feather. My
"a'cl was below when daylight came, and
AZ me bt the word to turn up lively. To
VI Northeast off the coast of Borneo, two
80 three green islands were IN sight, and
between us and the islands were two